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Richly illustrated, with many rare images, this book explains why the Temple of Solomon was built, the magical forces Solomon may have used in its creation, what its destruction meant for Jews and Christians alike, and why secret societies named their orders after it.

James Wasserman is the author of several books, including The Templars and the Assassins and The Secrets of Masonic Washington. A longtime student of the occult and a member of the Ordo Templi Orientis since 1976, he lives in New York City.

Foreword by Peter Levenda

Prologue The Presence of the Lord

Introduction The Key to Solomon’s Temple

Part One In the Beginning1 Creation and Destruction: The Garden to the Flood 2 The Patriarchs and Matriarchs

Part Two Moses, the Tabernacle, and the Law3 Exodus: The Freedom to Worship 4 Leviticus: The Laws of Sacrifice 5 Numbers: The Journey to the Promised Land Continues 6 Deuteronomy: The Book of the Law of the Temple

Part Three Pre-Monarchical Leadership7 Joshua: Subduing the Land of Israel 8 Judges: The People Depart from Righteousness 9 Ruth: The Matriarch of the Kings of Israel 10 Samuel: The Prophet Establishes the Monarchy

Part Four The United Monarchy and the First Temple11 The Reign of Saul: First King of the Realm 12 The Reign of David: The Warrior/Poet 13 The Reign of Solomon: The Building of the Temple

Part Five The Divided Monarchy and the Loss of the Temple14 The Divided Kingdoms of Judah and Israel 15 The Loss of the Kingdom of Israel 16 The Loss of the Kingdom of Judah 17 Isaiah, Jeremiah, the Last Days of the Temple of Solomon, and the Exile Part Six The Second Temple18 Ezekiel’s Vision of the Temple 19 The Return from Exile and the Second Temple 20 The Second Temple in the Books of Maccabees 21 Herod’s Temple

Part Seven The Christian Revelation22 The Temple in the Story of Jesus 23 The New Jerusalem Part Eight The Temple in the Esoteric Tradition24 The Knights of the Temple 25 The Freemasons and the Temple

Afterword Reflections on the Temple

Appendices

1 A Brief History of Jerusalem and the Promised Land 2 A Suggestive Chronology of the Temple and Jerusalem 3 The Temple Holidays 4 Maps of the Holy Land